It's super-shady! And it's not just that she keeps the election results on her personal computer, it's that they're ONLY on her personal computer, and she has outright refused to keep them anywhere else. She is the only person who has access to Waukesha County's election results. There are no backups of election data anywhere except on her computer, under her control. She demanded that the county IT department -- the legal owners of the computers she's using! -- was not to receive access to her system in any way, and they complied.Quote from the Waukesha County Corporation Counsel, August 2010: "If she wants to keep everything secret, she probably can." Waukesha County Director of Administration, August 2010: "How does anybody else in the county know, except for her verbal word, that there are backups, and that the software she has out there is performing as it should?" he said. "There's no way I can assure that the election system is going to be fine for the next presidential election."There was a county-wide IT audit scheduled for March 2011, but it doesn't appear that ever happened.

This feels a hell of a lot like when Jeb Bush certified his big brother as the victor in the state he was governing when the results were... let's say, euphemistically, 'less than clear.' Makes me ill.

The Waukesha County clerk, Kathy Nickolaus, said she had failed on election night to save votes from Brookfield in her computer, according to The Associated Press. The result: 10,859 more votes for Justice Prosser, who won strong support from Republicans, and 3,456 more for Ms. Kloppenburg, an assistant state attorney general.

According to The A.P., Ms. Nickolaus was granted immunity in 2002 in a criminal investigation into illegal acts by members of the Republican Caucus in the State Assembly, where she had worked as a data analyst and computer specialist. Before being appointed to the court in 1998, Justice Prosser served as a Republican in the Assembly, and rose to be speaker.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

Funny how they only announced this after they were confident that Prosser would retain his seat, huh? This bullshiitake is making me want to leave Wisconsin for good, and this state is and has always been my home in every conceivable sense of the word. It really looks like this woman was sitting on a pile of votes -- legitimate or no -- for the candidate who used to be her boss, and only brought them out when it seemed like he would lose. Who else was going to know except her? She specifically navigated the county to a point at which she was the sole keeper of election results!

In happier news, signatures for another Republican recall (Randy Hopper) have now been filed.

Wisconsin's law taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most public workers has been struck down by a circuit court judge – but the ruling will not be the final say in the battle over union rights.

The state Supreme Court will decide on 6 June whether it will take the case. Republicans who control the legislature also could pass the law a second time to avoid the open-meeting violations that led to the judge's voiding the law.

The good news is that even though the GOP could still pass the law a second time (this time adhering to the notice periods necessary), this law has become a bit of a stinker for Gov Walker and the Republicans and hopefully political will to peas off constituents has now faded.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

I wonder where the SD-8 polling is right now. I live adjacent to that district, the incumbent is heinous, and last I heard, the challenger was polling pretty well. Randy Hopper, the incumbent in SD-18, well. There's this, and this, and the fact that he doesn't even live in his district because his wife kicked him out and he moved in with his mistress. I shouldn't be surprised that he's still polling as well as he is, considering the death grip the Teabaggers have on our once-great state/nation, but somehow, I still am.

The Republicans won the last round, as the loss of Russ Feingold and King Walker ascending to the Governor's mansion completely crushed my spirit and relentless desire to canvass and phone bank, so all I can do now is keep my fingers crossed.

Please, FSM, let Your Noodly Appendage reach down and let us take control of the state Senate tomorrow!

“The purpose of this tour is to help change the debate,” explained Tea Party Express communications director Levi Russell. “The left has pumped nearly 14 million dollars of frenzied fear mongering into the state, and waged war against the newly elected Governor and State Senators who are trying to balance the budget and keep the state economy on track … We are there to let Wisconsonites who are concerned about the economy know that they are not alone, and they are not wrong, evil, hobbit terrorists as some would have them believe!”

Evil hobbit terrorists?

_________________"I feel like it's not a real political discussion if I'm not morally opposed to something I don't understand." - ndpittman

Assuming we hold onto both seats next week, Dems need to win all 3 of the 3 remaining undecided races to gain control of the Senate. We're ahead in all 3, but just barely, and with only 20-30% of outstanding precincts reporting.